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Like a Prayer

Hi lovers! This episode really lets you into our home lives and gives you a lot more of the men. But don’t you love them?! I mean come on, you have to admit that the Jersey men, love them or hate them, are the best! I think they are all so funny in their own ways. I really do laugh whenever any one of them is on the screen. They could probably pull the weight of their own show!

Speaking of the “men,” how cute is Joey Wakile? I love when he and Rich are standing at the gas station. He looks like he is not that interested, but doesn’t want to let down his father. He is such a doll. I guess the girls think so too, since they are sending him boobie pictures. OMG! I can’t even imagine when girls will do that to Gino and Joey! I won’t even know what to do! I think Kathy handled it like a pro, and I absolutely loved that scene.

This episode gave you a glimpse into what investments a lot of us are making and what is going on in our work lives. Words can’t even explain how proud I am of Joe. He’s a hard worker and never had anything handed to him. I was lucky to have everything a kid could want growing up, and then when my father died I was only 17 years old, so I didn’t want to bother my mother for much because I knew she had to take care of herself now. My parents always made sure I knew what it is like to work for something and not get anything handed to you. I put myself through college with the help of my godfather and worked three jobs doing it. I was substitute teaching, working in a tanning salon, and bar tending one night a week. Joe and I share a lot of the same values when it comes to our work ethic. I used to pray the same prayer every night before I found Joe. I would ask God to bless me with a man I was attracted too, one that was honest, one that was attracted to me, and he had to be a hard worker, not rich, but as hard as a worker as I am. Well God sent me Joe Gorga, and he hit the nail right on the head! He’s perfect! So single ladies, you need to try this and trust in God that he will too bring you exactly what you are looking for. (My dating advice for the day!)

I went to visit Joe at work with Gino and wanted to give him a collage of pictures I made for his office. I don’t get a lot of time to stop by and see him during the day, because I’m always with the kids and it gets a little crazy bringing them to construction sites. When Joe was showing me that he now has one building for each of our children, I can’t explain how happy I am for him, for my children too, but especially for him. I know it makes him so proud that he did that all on his own and worked his butt off to do it. I am very proud of him, and I think I love him more and more as we get older.

I think a big misconception about me and Joe is that we got married and were just rich and had everything we could ever want. Not true. When I first met Joe and for the first few years we were married, he owned a landscaping company. We did well for two newlyweds in our 20s, but nothing like we are now. We worked for it together. From the day we got engaged, Joe asked me to work in his office as his secretary and suggested not going into the school system to be a teacher. I had just graduated college and really wanted my own classroom. I did go to a teachers’ fair and got hired as a teacher, but after discussing it with Joe, I decided not to take the job and to work with him in his office. Joe felt like with me backing him up rather than have a stranger running things, we would make the business more successful. Well Joe was right. I worked in that office 9 to 5 Monday through Friday and did it. Even when Antonia was born, I used to bring her and all her toys to the office and I would work all day with her there. It wasn’t always easy. There were times (like the one you heard me remind Joe of) that we couldn’t even buy diapers when Gino was first born. 2008 was definitely a hard year. We had invested in real estate and the market went sour. I’m sure everyone remembers that and is still feeling the effects of the economy. Joe and I are gamblers, and I mean that in a good way. We take chances and sometimes we win and sometimes we lose, but as long as we have our two hands and each other, we can always get back on top, and that’s what we did.That’s why I wrote How Many Times. Every word in it describes my relationship with Joe. I worked really hard on it in the studio with Corte for a couple weeks and couldn’t wait for Joe to hear it. It was the second song I ever wrote, and I wanted to write it to him. I loved watching our dinner together. We are so lucky to be able to play off one another the way we do. We have a relationship that is hard to find, and I thank Jesus for it every day! When I tell him I am living the life that I have always dreamed of, I mean that from the bottom of my heart. I’m in an incredible marriage with someone I love who is also my best friend. I have always wanted three children, and I have them. And not only do I have them, but they are all healthy and beautiful. The list goes on, but I’m just happy and proud of the life we have made together, and it was nice to be able to capture it in this song.

OK, I have to address the scenes that night at Jacqueline’s house when Teresa came in and apologized. I was happy that she was making an attempt to say that she was wrong. When I said, “We’ll take one for the team,” I meant exactly that. If she has to throw names and “jokes” in there to help the book sell, then so be it. I’m fine with it, happy to help, now let’s all move on. Honestly, I’m so over the cookbook drama. It’s just old news now, and it didn’t really bother me in the first place. I supported Fabulicious, tweeted about it, and wish her the best of luck with this book and all of her cookbooks. If it bothered me, I wouldn’t have gone to her book signing and bought ten copies with Joe. That was never my issue with Teresa nor was the question of if she was supporting my music. I am not even sure why she is apologizing publicly for not supporting my music, when that was NEVER an issue. The issue is what she says about my marriage and my loyalty to my husband. I have been clear about that, and you will see it addressed in next week’s episode.

Our show really is about family dynamics and one aspect that I think sets our cast apart is the relationships between the parents and children. This episode was heart breaking. Watching Lauren Manzo openly struggle with her weight is so tough to watch. She is so beautiful and talented, and it’s hard to see her go through these issues and to not see herself in a positive way.

Also watching Jacqueline and Ashley last night was a hard. You could tell that she was frustrated when Ashley had missed the plane. To me it’s obvious how much she loves her daughter, and I can’t imagine how hard it was for her to have someone else step in and try to help with Ashley. I can see the frustration in both Jacqueline and Chris’s eyes. They are now trying tough love with her. I know it must not be easy, but it’s something they have to do. I sobbed at the end when they showed Ashley’s baby videos. My heart hurt for Jacqueline, and I can’t even imagine how difficult it must have been to have her go. There must be a feeling of guilt living inside of Jacqueline, and I don’t think it’s fair that she feels that way. She really has given Ashley so many chances and so much love and support. I really feel like this is the last straw and the last hope for them. I pray everything works out for them.

This week has been incredible. How Many Times reached #5 on the iTunes R&B charts in less than 24 hours. I love you all, and I can’t thank you enough for supporting me and my music. I have the most encouraging and gorgeous fans in the world! Thank you! Thank you! I really love this song and if you haven’t heard it, you can go to iTunes right now and get it: http://bit.ly/hmtdearjoe. Let me know what you think.